Craft Your Own Good Luck
Introducing the four quadrants of luck.
Luck is defined as an outcome caused by chance, out of our control.
luck
/lʌk/Success or failure brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.
Philosophers, on the other side, disagree. Seneca thinks of luck as what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
At the same time, every culture has both lucky charms and superstitions. There was a time when carrying a rabbit's foot as a talisman was believed to bring good fortune and protection from harm.
In our day-to-day conversation, we sometimes use time and space to define luck or the absence of it. Does the “I happened to be at the right place at the right time” expression sound familiar?
This gave me the idea of a thinking exercise. What if we take place and time and define the quadrants of luck?
The Four Quadrants of Luck
“Place” is under your control and it requires intention. Your knowledge and skills, a product you are building, or an action you are taking. In Seneca’s definition, this would be preparation.
“Time” is outside your control and it happens by chance. Natural events, economic conditions, market trends, or somebody’s else actions. In Seneca’s definition, this would be the opportunity.
If we combine these two, we get the four quadrants of luck.
To be able to talk about luck, then you need both the place and time dimensions. You can’t win, or not win, the lottery if you don’t play the lottery.
Let’s start with the top right corner.
The wrong place at the wrong time
You bought a lottery ticket for a draw that has already taken place. This is the definition of bad luck.
Imagine yourself wandering a new city and you reach into a dangerous neighborhood late at night when you hear gunshots in the background. Not the right place nor the right time to be at, but is a good idea to get out of there.
The right place at the wrong time
You got a winning lottery ticket for a jackpot but you failed to claim before it expired. This could be the definition of a bad day.
Imagine you planned a vacation to a beautiful exotic beach during the off-season to avoid crowds and get better deals. However, when you arrive, there's a storm that lasts for your entire stay.
The wrong place at the right time
You found a lottery ticket while waiting for the train. This is the definition of a good day.
Imagine a new guy wandering into the big city, taking a right turn instead of a left one, and bumping into the love of his life. They live happily ever after.
The right place at the right time
Congrats! You purchased a winning lottery ticket and you claimed your prize. This is the definition of good luck.
Imagine you are back in the early days of Bitcoin and you believed in its great potential. You bought 1,000 Bitcoin when it was $1, securely stored it in a wallet, and then sold it when it was $60,000 (I really hope you did this 🤞).
This is what good luck looks like. But can you make more of it?
Craft your own good luck
The goal is to be in the left-bottom quadrant as much as possible: the right place at the right time.
For that to happen there are two things you have to do:
Work building the right place
Increase the chance for the right time
Place is under your control thus you can master it. Focus on growing your skills or building your product.
Time is outside your control, but you can influence it. Work on your selling and marketing skills, create exposure, and grow your network.
Thus, focus on the place you want to go, but plant seeds of opportunity on your path to influence the time when you get there.
In How I Got 1,000 Paid Subscribers on Substack,
shares how he gained his paid subscribers through luck and not a specific strategy. But if you pay attention, you’ll notice both the place and time dimensions at play. Alberto has been in the game for a long time and that helped him grow his skills and build a network. From outside it might look like he was at the right place at the right time.I’m just a newbie at this game, and I’m continuously working on growing my writing skills. However, I’m also planting seeds of opportunity. How cool would it be if
would read this issue and like, restack, or comment on it? It’s not in my control, but I can try influencing the time.Ok, you might say, but these are not real luck-luck examples. Let’s get back to winning the lottery. That is not something under your control. It’s pure chance at play.
First, you have to buy tickets and that is under your control. Then, if you are a mathematician who is amazingly good with numbers you might game the lottery and win $27 Million.
In the end, there is one more thing that you should consider if you want to create your own good luck: the energy you’re putting out.
I might repeat myself, but having positive energy within your interactions and showing a resilient attitude, will increase your chances of experiencing good luck in your life.
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Regards,
Alex from The Craftsman Mindset
Lovely article.